Addressing Challenges in EV Retail Strategy

How Dealerships Can Actually Win at EV Sales Selling EVs like they’re just ICE cars with a charging port is a losing game. The fix? People → Process → Product → Partnerships → Profit, in that order. 1️⃣ Make Education the Product Most EV shoppers walk away over charging fears. Every salesperson should instantly answer: Where do I charge? How long? How much? What if I travel? 2️⃣ Certify, Don’t Guess NADA ElectrifIQ, Plug In America’s PlugStar, ASE EV safety, these should be mandatory for sales and service. Competence closes deals. 3️⃣ Sell Home Charging Up Front Pre-qualify driveways. Bundle Level 2 hardware + install. Track incentives. Assign every EV buyer a charging concierge. 4️⃣ Nail the Tax Credit Handle point-of-sale credit transfers correctly. Explain rules in plain English. Trust = loyalty. 5️⃣ Make Charging Real Lot chargers must work. Precondition demo cars. Run a “live charge” on test drives so customers see the process, the app, and the cost. 6️⃣ Own the Connector Transition Know NACS/J3400 timelines. Stock adapters. Explain compatibility clearly. 7️⃣ Modernize F&I Bundle chargers, TOU rate plans, and home upgrades. For used EVs, include battery health reports to kill “iPhone battery” fear. 8️⃣ Turn Used EVs Into a Profit Center Demand is climbing, prices are realistic, and there’s a $4K used EV credit for a few more weeks. Stock smart trims, publish battery certificates, market the savings. 9️⃣ Pivot Service Lower SMR means shift to tires, glass, ADAS calibration, accessories, and OTA/software services. 🔟 Deliver a Clean Handoff Set up accounts, apps, home charging, and follow up at 30-60-90 days. The first home charge is where retention begins. Do This Now, This Quarter ✅ Certify all sales staff ✅ Enroll techs in EV safety training ✅ Create a live, updated incentive sheet ✅ Stock adapters ✅ Add battery health reports to every used EV listing Bottom Line, the tech isn’t the barrier. Execution is. Fix charging knowledge. Build confidence. Shift sales and service where EV profits really live. Dealers who move first will own the market. Those who wait will be playing catch-up for years. #AutoRetail #EVSales #EVCharging #CustomerExperience #FixedOps #UsedEVs #NACS #J3400 #Dealers #EVEducation #ElectricVehicles #EVMarket #EVProfit #EVStrategy #EVTraining #ChargingConfidence

What separates the dealers making real money on used EVs from the ones still avoiding them at auction? From daily conversations with dealers across the US, I keep seeing the same patterns emerge. The dealers winning with used EVs right now are doing three things differently. First, they know EVs the way they used to know ICE cars. Not just "it's a Tesla" or "it's an Ioniq." They understand the trim differences, the chemistry behind each model, how charging history affects value, what specific software configurations mean for resale. Most dealers still treat EVs like gasoline cars with a different fuel type and that knowledge gap is costing them on every transaction. Second, they run an arbitrage play most dealers don't see. Because used EVs still make the majority of the industry nervous, auction competition on EV inventory is thin. The dealers who understand what they're buying can move on cars at prices that simply aren't available anywhere else right now. That window will not stay open indefinitely. Third, they lead with battery health data throughout the whole process from acquisition to retail. Every retail listing comes with data-driven documentation that answers buyer questions before they're asked. Data doesn't just reduce risk on the buy side, but it also shortens the sales cycle on the retail side. From a market perspective, the opportunity is still wide open, but most dealers haven't made this shift yet. The ones who have are buying better, selling faster, and carrying less risk than their competitors. Are you testing EV battery health before pricing a used EV? Photo: Niccolò Ferrari giving a Voltest demo 🙂

Fast EV chargers at supermarkets are often pointless. And by putting resources into them, they’re missing the real opportunity. Here’s why: EV drivers aren’t pulling off the motorway to hunt through a supermarket car park for a 20-minute top-up. It's not convenient, it’s actually quite frustrating. It's likely most shoppers are making short local trips, from home to shop and back again, and if they’ve got home charging, they don’t need a fast charger while buying groceries. So, who does need to charge at a supermarket? People living in apartment blocks or dense urban areas without off-street parking. Supermarket staff, who are commuting to work and parked there for hours. Loyal customers, if charging is integrated with reward schemes and makes them feel part of the brand’s sustainability journey. The real missed opportunity here isn’t speed, it’s strategy. And too many supermarkets are rushing into installs without: Understanding dwell time Prioritising payment UX Aligning EV charging with loyalty and sustainability goals I love the initiative and am excited to see it continue, but only after we learn that EV infrastructure is more than hardware; it’s a brand experience. Get it right, and it builds loyalty, drives footfall, and moves the needle on emissions. Get it wrong, and it’s just more unused kit in the car park.

NITI Aayog’s latest report "Electric Vehicles in India: Unlocking a $200 Billion Opportunity" released today offers a data-rich and action-oriented roadmap for India’s electric mobility journey. 🚗 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 India aims to make 30% of all new vehicle sales electric by 2030. As of 2024, EV penetration stands at only 7.6%, up from just 0.2% in 2016, despite over ₹40,000 crore in incentives under FAME-I, FAME-II, and PM e-Drive. 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮'𝘀 𝗘𝗩 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘂𝘀 (𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰): 2.08 million EVs sold (11% of global EV sales) 5.45 million EVs in stock (9% of global EV fleet) Best progress in 2W/3W, modest in e-buses, weak in e-cars and e-trucks Long-haul trucks are almost entirely un-electrified 🔍 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 Financing Gaps: High capital cost for e-buses and e-trucks, limited access to long-term credit for small fleet owners Charging Infrastructure: Limited coverage, poor utilization, coordination failures with DISCOMs & ULBs Awareness Deficit: Public misconceptions, fragmented state policies, lack of total-cost-of-ownership (TCO) visibility Data & Regulatory Gaps: VAHAN data unreliability, lack of unique battery IDs, weak resale ecosystem Fragmented Inter-Agency Coordination: Complicates infra approvals and policy rollouts 📌𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 (𝟵 𝗣𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘀) Shift from incentives to mandates/disincentives Target specific vehicle segments (e.g., buses, 3Ws, freight) Focus on saturation in priority cities (start with 5, scale to 100) Enable financing via pooled funds, blended capital Support service delivery over asset subsidies (e.g., per-km payment models) Shift capital cost to operating cost through leasing, Battery-as-a-Service Accelerate R&D on sodium batteries, rare-earth-free motors Strategically scale charging (corridor-based hubs, state nodal agencies like Singapore's EVe) Enhance awareness and digital info tools (Unified app, battery passports) 🧭𝗜𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 (𝟱 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀) Announce a national ZEV policy with timelines Mandate progressive EV sales & production targets Saturate 5 cities with 100% e-buses, e-paratransit, e-freight Set up a blended financing mechanism for trucks and buses Establish inter-ministerial coordination committee to resolve execution bottlenecks 📊 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁 75% of vehicles are 2Ws; only 13% are cars High price sensitivity; most trips <10 km 98% of fleet is small/passenger/public vehicles 80% of truck owners have <5 trucks Transitioning heavy-duty vehicles (just 4% of fleet but 50% of emissions) is essential 💡 The transition is happening — but acceleration now needs regulatory courage, financing innovation, and cross-sector collaboration. #EVIndia #ElectricVehicles #GreenMobility #NITIAayog #NetZero #PMEDrive #AutoPolicy #TransportDecarbonization #CleanTech #UrbanMobility #Sustainability #FutureOfTransport

Many people believe that the charging journey begins when drivers arrive at a charging station. In reality, it starts much earlier—during the decision-making stage when drivers are planning their routes and considering their options. This is where CPOs face competition. This is where money is made and lost. There are 3 stages every EV driver goes through before they even reach your station: 1. Worry • Will I make it there? • Where should I charge? • Can I pay at these stations? • How much will this cost? • Will the chargers even work? 2. Plan • Open multiple apps to locate stations. • Order (too many) charge cards. • Compare prices. • Export to mapping applications. • Cross-check for nearby amenities. 3. Drive & Charge • Constantly re-check the route. • Manage SoC anxiety. • Sometimes arrive at a broken charger. • Charger busy. • Payment not supported. Like any product or service, you must meet customers when they are in pain and looking for solutions. You need to connect with drivers when they're planning their trips. Route planners are not app features. They are the essential search engines drivers use to find and evaluate charging options. You can either give drivers tools to find your stations or hope they won't end up at competitors. More charges alone won't solve these challenges. To win, you have to meet drivers when they're planning their journey. CPOs who understand this will lead the market, while those who do not will lag behind.

The European automotive retail model is not facing evolution — it is facing structural transformation. Over the past months, I’ve been discussing with OEMs, NSCs and dealer groups across Europe one central question: How do dealership networks remain profitable as electrification, connectivity and new distribution models reshape the industry toward 2030? The reality is becoming clear: 🔹 BEVs are already driving a 20–50% decline in after-sales revenue per vehicle 🔹 Margin pressure is increasing from agency models and new market entrants 🔹 Customer value is shifting from transactions to lifecycle monetization Yet disruption is not the story. Adaptation is. What leading European markets are already teaching us 1️⃣ Mixed-transition markets (Germany, France, UK): operating two business models simultaneously Dealer groups must manage ICE profitability while investing in EV capabilities — requiring new pricing logic, centralized digital operations, HV service hubs, and stronger OEM data collaboration. 2️⃣ Southern & Eastern Europe: a strategic runway — not a delay Markets with slower EV adoption have a unique advantage: time to prepare. The priority today is protecting front-end margins while progressively building EV capability and customer trust before acceleration hits. 3️⃣ The emergence of the Integrated Dealer Group The most resilient players are no longer traditional retailers. They are becoming mobility revenue platforms, integrating: - retail sales - leasing & subscriptions - remarketing operations - battery & HV services - charging and energy ecosystems By owning more of the vehicle lifecycle, they stabilize profit despite EV volatility and margin compression. The key leadership shift The future dealership will not be defined by units sold — but by lifetime customer value managed through data, services and recurring revenue. The question is no longer if transformation happens. It is who moves early enough to shape it. I’m always interested in exchanging perspectives with OEM, NSC and dealer executives navigating this transition. 👉 If this topic resonates with your current strategic priorities, feel free to reach out or message me directly — happy to continue the discussion. Top Auto Club Pedro Sala Ricardo Conesa Martinez Enrique de Areba Joan Miquel Malagelada David Ortega Ivanna Zamora Sánchez Javier Garcia Peter Petrovski Jens Monsees Hartmut Wagner Paul Bennett Peter McDonald Ricardo Araújo Robert M. Haeusler Christian Zamet Juan Montesinos Hernando Ricardo Oliveira #Automotive #DealershipTransformation #EVTransition #OEM #AutomotiveRetail #FutureOfMobility #Aftersales #AutomotiveStrategy

GM's data scientists recently described their EV charger placement strategy as a "mathematical optimization problem." They're feeding traffic patterns into AI models to identify exactly where thousands of new fast chargers should go. This isn't GM being thorough – it's become the standard approach across industries. This is happening everywhere: - Shell is scaling to 500,000 charge points by 2025, using geospatial data across 16 countries to map charging gaps and future EV adoption hotspots - Simon Property Group added fast chargers to dozens of malls after analyzing which locations would maximize shopper dwell time - Southern California Edison uses predictive software that lets them input a future year and see projected EV adoption by neighborhood, including socio-economic factors The pattern is clear: whether you're an EV network, retail chain, or utility, site selection has moved from educated guessing to data-driven precision. What's driving this? The stakes are too high for intuition alone. A poorly placed charger means low utilization rates and missed revenue targets. But the right location – where charging time aligns with customer activities – creates a win-win. Kroger and Whole Foods figured this out early, partnering with networks to capture customers for that crucial 30-minute window when they're charging and shopping. The companies getting this right are treating location analytics as a competitive advantage, not just operational efficiency. What data are you using to guide your expansion decisions?

With due respect, these C-Store leaders might be misinterpreting their #EVcharging data. I get that they are seeing below expectation utilization, but that should be expected for a few reasons that do not point to diminished fast charger hosting opportunities: 👉 EV charging deployment nationwide has grown significantly, creating a more competitive environment than existed when fast charger locations were scarce. 👉 As noted in the article, faster fast chargers are outcompeting slower fast chargers 2:1--in an increasingly competitive market, speed matters. 👉 The industry adoption of NACS has opened Tesla Superchargers, the most abundant, redundant, and reliable chargers, to non-Tesla brands, which will undoubtedly pull market share away from the other fast charging companies until they can provide an equal or better customer experience, which, more recent entrants into the fast charging space, like IONNA and Electric Era, are laser-focused on. Additionally, the NEVI program is about to be fired back up again ( 🤞 ), with new guidance that, among other things, will prioritize site hosts who own their property, like C-Stores. The $5 billion program will cover 80% of project costs, making this the exact wrong time for C-Stores that already have skin in the game to pull back. It used to be that if you were the C-Store with the chargers, #EV drivers showed up. But now, just as with gas pumps, C-Stores will have to attract customers by providing a better experience than the competition. So, if I were a C-Store exec, I would be preparing to aggressively pursue NEVI funds with a top-tier EV charging company partner to increase market share, develop a customer engagement strategy that builds loyalty, and set the company up for long-term EV fueling success. Would I be crazy to do so? #electricvehicles #evs #fuelretailers #cleanenergygeneration #climateaction https://lnkd.in/ekSXZzGj

Listen to the Customer: The Key to Navigating the Road to Electrification The transition to Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) is an undeniable shift in the automotive industry, largely driven by government policies aiming to reduce carbon emissions. However, despite the urgency and the regulatory push, many manufacturers overestimated the consumer’s readiness to fully embrace BEVs. As we are seeing, consumer adoption is lagging behind expectations, leaving manufacturers to scramble with heavy incentives and re-evaluate their strategies. Why? Because it appears that government leadership and many OEMs have forgotten one fundamental truth: The consumer is at the center of this transition, and choice cannot be mandated. While some early adopters have dived into the BEV market, the broader consumer base is not yet fully convinced. Surveys now show that even some of these early adopters won’t purchase another BEV. The reasons are clear: range anxiety, limited battery technology, insufficient charger availability, and infrastructure challenges continue to undermine confidence. At the very top of the list is range anxiety, a psychological barrier that significantly limits consumer willingness to make the jump to full electrification. So, what does this mean for OEMs? A pivot is urgently needed, and the solution lies in the plug-in hybrid. Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) offer a balanced compromise, providing consumers with the comfort of an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) while gradually introducing the benefits of electrification. PHEVs allow consumers to wade into the electric experience without fully committing to the limitations of today’s BEV ecosystem. The ability to rely on an engine backup removes the range anxiety that so many find debilitating when considering a BEV. As we look at market behavior, it’s apparent that manufacturers who ignore this consumer demand for hybrid technologies risk not only losing market share but also profitability. In a landscape where profitability is already thin, the rapid proliferation of EV models that require heavy incentives to sell is a worrying sign. A strategic focus on PHEVs not only addresses consumer needs but also serves as a more immediate path for manufacturers to comply with increasingly stringent CO2 standards. Ignoring the consumer in this equation is a critical error. OEMs that continue to double down on BEV launches without a clear hybrid strategy will struggle to maintain relevance. Those that prioritize the consumer—by meeting them where they are with PHEVs—will be in a far stronger position, not just to comply with emissions standards but to capture and retain a loyal customer base. The future may be electric, but the journey to get there must be gradual, consumer-driven, and rooted in providing real-world solutions today. The manufacturers who embrace this reality will be the ones who emerge successful in the new automotive landscape. #AutoNews #FutureofMobility

European CPG Leaders: Stop Dreaming of the US Market, Start Building The US CPG market is growing at over 4% CAGR. If your European brand is globally ambitious, you must be here. However, the current reality for EU entrants is a tough one: The "chicken vs. egg" retail gridlock, a confusing regulatory labyrinth (hello, Prop 65), and the sheer dominance of Amazon (40% of e-commerce). This isn't a market for the faint-hearted or the unprepared. You cannot afford a "test and learn" approach on this scale. The Critical US Retail Difference: Pull vs. Margin EU manufacturers are often accustomed to tough, cut-throat negotiations over wholesale price and margin with retailers. The US model is fundamentally different. US retailers are generally less focused on negotiating the last percentage point of your margin and are far more demanding that you invest in creating consumer pull. They expect manufacturers to fund the marketing, promotions, and digital campaigns necessary to guarantee the product moves off the shelf. Your challenge isn't just selling to the retailer; it's selling through the retailer by investing in consumer demand. One Strategic Solution: The "E-com Lighthouse" Roadmap We have built a clear, phased roadmap—the "Amazon Lighthouse" Strategy—to convert market challenges into competitive advantage and unlock profitable US growth by proving consumer pull before securing shelf space. Here's the step-by-step mandate: Phase 1: Pre-Launch Readiness (The Foundation): Before a single unit ships, you must localize. This means more than translation. It requires reformulating flavor profiles, securing US-standard UPC barcodes, achieving FDA/FSVP compliance, and aligning packaging with US imperial units. Compliance is your moat. Phase 2: Digital Launchpad (The Lighthouse): Launch 1-2 flagship SKUs exclusively on Amazon. Use Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) to solve logistics instantly. Crucially, invest heavily in Amazon Advertising and Review Growth (aiming for 4.3+ stars) to generate high Sales Velocity and Category Rank. This platform is where you build your consumer pull and gather the data—proof that customers want your product. Phase 3: Phased Expansion (The Scaling): Take the irrefutable data from your Amazon success (velocity, reviews, conversion rate) directly to risk-averse national retail buyers. This proof of consumer pull overcomes the "chicken vs. egg" stalemate, allowing you to secure listings and build a resilient US supply chain via a dedicated 3PL. The Takeaway for EU FMCG Leaders: The US market is the ultimate destination for global scale, but success demands strategic discipline and a revised P&L. Allocate enough budget to create consumer pull—starting with Amazon—to demonstrate product velocity. This investment is the data-driven key to unlocking your brick-and-mortar future. If you're ready to move beyond struggling and towards a clear, step-by-step US expansion with a proven, data-led roadmap, let's connect.